Jimmy Cliff offers ‘Human Touch’ on Jamaica’s Independence Day

On Jamaica’s Independence Day, global music legend Jimmy Cliff releases Human Touch as a tribute to his birthplace, Somerton district in St James and his musical birthplace, Kingston. This is Cliff’s first offering of new music in almost 10 years.

Human Touch, which exudes his spiritual maturity, was written to promote human interaction just in time for post-COVID realities, and is available on August 6.

“As an African descendant, I am blessed and happy to display our unique human story of survival and triumph and to clothe this stage of my musical journey in the great achievements and lessons of Ancient Egyptian enlightenment that has so influenced the recent centuries of human civilization as reflected in obelisks and other Pharaonic monuments in the major cities and culture of the ‘new world’,” the musician, actor, singer, songwriter, producer and humanitarian said.

As one of the last surviving members of the great generation of reggae pioneers who have since passed (Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Toots Hibbert), Cliff helped to bring the genre to all corners of the globe and helped it gain worldwide popularity.

Jimmy Cliff’s impact on music and culture is inescapable. He received Jamaica’s highest honour, the Order of Merit, and is one of only two Jamaican musicians inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — Bob Marley being the other. His critically acclaimed album, Rebirth, was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album and was selected as one of Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Albums of 2012.

Immortal anthems including Wonderful World, Beautiful People; You Can Get It If You Really Want; The Harder They Come, and many of his other singles such as Wild World, Hakuna Matata (with Lebo M.) have had chart success across the globe.

A distinctive screen presence, he had a starring role in the film and on the soundtrack for the 1972 classic, The Harder They Come, which drew an international spotlight on reggae. His career in film includes his version of I Can See Clearly Now from the Cool Runnings soundtrack, and his other film appearances include Club Paradise, Muscle Shoals, Marked For Death and more.

The year 2021 promises to be another pivotal one in Cliff’s career, as he prepares for the release of his upcoming album and celebrates the 60th anniversary of Beverly Records and its influence on Island Records. Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the acclaimed film and soundtrack, The Harder They Come.